Folding-machine.



' H. M. BARBER.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28, 1914.

1,200,452. Patented Oct. 10,1916.

3 SHEET$SHEET I.

H. M. BARBER.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28. 19M.

1,$QO,452. Patented Oct. 10,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- mmeases: Ivwentor:

H. M. BARBER.

FOLDiNG MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- 28. 1914.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

m w I UNITED STATES PATE OFFICE.

HOWARD M. BARBER, OF STONINGTON, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGN- MENTS, TO C. B. COTTRELL & SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, Y., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

FOLDING-MACHINE.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed January 28, 1914. Serial No. 815,002. i

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HOWARD M. BARBER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Stonington, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Folding- Machines, of which the following is a specification. V

This invention relates to that class of folding machines in which the folding mechanism comprises a set of floating folding jaws carried by a rotary carrier and arranged to coact with a tucking blade for folding the sheet or sheets radially with respect to the carrier and for delivering the folded sheet or sheets tangentially to the carrier.

This invention has for its object to provide means for successfully handling sheets of great width and consists in means for rigidly supporting the floating folding jaws of the rotary sheet carrier intermediate the end bearings of the jaws whereby the jaws are materially stiffened and strengthened and thus prevented from sagging and vibrating and are also caused to accurately coact with the tucking blade, said means serving also to facilitate the floating of the jaws and their opening and closing movements by reducing the strain placed upon their operating and controlling mechanisms due to the tendency of the jaws to sag because of their extreme length.

A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a rotary sheet carrier including my invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of the same, Fig. 3 is a section taken between the near side frame and the folding mechanism, Fig. 4 is a section taken centrally through the folding mecha nism, and Fig. 5 is a detail section of the cam mechanism for controlling the floating of the folding jaws and the opening of the jaws for receiving the sheet.

The tucking blade is denoted by 1 and its rotary carrier 2 is herein shown as a cylinder. In the present instance, I have shown the cylinder as provided with three of these tucking blades 1 and three sets of 7 sheet grippers, 3. The stationary cam 4 is arranged in position to open the sets of grippers 3 at the proper point to permit the sheets to be folded off from the rotary carrier 2.

The floating folding jaws which areal ranged to'coact with the tucking blades 1 comprise the jaw members'5 and 6, which floating folding jaws are carried by a rdtary carrier which is herein shown as a yoke comprising a hub 7, end armsS, 9, and an intermediate arm 10, the said arms belng connected at a point opposite the floating folding jaws by a bar 11. i

The shaft of the rotary carrier for the floating folding jaws is denoted by 12 and the shaft for therotary carrier for the tucking blades is denoted by 13.

The jaw member 5 has its trunnions 14 j ournaled in suitable bearings 15 of the arms 8 and 9, of the rotary carrier, and thejaw member 6 has its shaft 16 journaled in the jaw member 5. The swinging of the jaw members 5 and 6 together for moving the jaws from their substantially radial position wlth respect to their rotary carrier to a substantially tangential position, is controlled by the stationary cam 17 in which the stud roller 18 carried by the arm 19 of the jaw member 5 travels. I

The rocking of .the jaw member 6 inde-. .pendently of the rocking movement of the two members together, for opening the jaws to receive the sheet from the tucking blade 1, is controlled by the stationary cam 20 which engages the stud roller 21 carried by the arm 22 fixed to the jaw member shaft 16. The jaw member 6 is rcoked independently of the rocking motion of the two members for opening the jaws to deliver the folded sheets by means of the stationary cam 23 which engages the stud roller 24 carried by the arm 25 fast on the other end of the shaft 16 of the jaw member 6. The springs 26 and 27 tend to hold the jaw member 6 closed upon the jaw member 5.

The tucking blade, its carrier, the grippers thereon and their operating cam, may be of well known and approved construction. The floating folding jaws and their controlling mechanisms may also be of well known and approved construction and no further specific description thereof will be made herein.

The intermediate arm 10 of the rotary carrier for the floating folding jaws is provided ing from the jaw member 5 intermediate its ends, which rollers are arranged to travel in the bearing support 28 of the intermediate arm 10 as the floating folding aws are swung together on their trunnions. This intermediate support for the floating folding jaws enables the jaws to be made of great length thereby permitting the successful and accurate folding and handling of sheets of great width.

It will be seen that the two rollers 29, as they travel along the bearing support 28, will support the folding jaws rigidly from two directions as the jaws are moved together from one position to another.

The curved bearing support 28 is shown as separable from and secured to the intermediate arm 10 and the bracket 30 is shown as separate from and secured to the jaw member 5.

It is to be understood that other forms of intermediate support for the floating folding jaws may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wish to limit myself to the particular embodiment herein. shown, but

What I claim is 1. Folding mechanism including a rotary sheet carrier, a set of floating folding jaws carried thereby, end bearings in which one of said jaws rocks and an intermediate supporting bearing for said jaw concentric with said end bearings.

2. Folding mechanism including a rotary sheet carrier comprising a yoke having end and intermediate arms, a set of floating folding jaws comprising one jaw journaled in the end arms and supported by the intermediate arm.

3. Folding mechanism including a fold ing jaw,rend bearings in which said jaw rocks, an intermediate supporting bearing concentric with said end bearings, and a stifiening bracket on said jaw arranged to travel along saidsupporting hearing as the jaw rocks. 7

4t. Folding mechanism including a folding jaw, end bearings in which said jaw rocks, an intermediate supporting bearing concentric with said end bearings, and a stiffening bracket on said jaw having a roller arranged to travel along said supporting bearing as the jaw rocks.

5. Folding mechanism including a folding jaw, end bearings in which said jaw rocks, an intermediate supporting bearing concentric with said end bearings, and a stiffening bracket on said jaw having rollers arranged to travel along said supporting hearing as the jaw rocks.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of. two witnesses, this twenty-sixth day of January, 1914:.

,HOWARD M. BARBER.

Witnesses:

A. R. STILLMAN, E. M. GRANT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of l'atents,

Washington, D. O. 

